Panel board



June 1925. 540,052

R. B. BENJAMIN PANEL BOARD Filed June 14, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l 45 I 4 I glh'vpniqr: v 3.1. M

PANEL BOARD I Filed June 14, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W- M Q w t nven or:

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Patented June 2, 1 925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' REUBEN B. BENJ'A MIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ABSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ram-.1. 30m.

a umfiii niea June 1 4, 1020. mm 116. 888,829.

My invention relates to panel boards and.

it has especial relation to the provision of standard and interchangeable units for such ap aratus.

ll {ore particularly my invention is directed to the revision of a switchin unit which shall e interchangeable wit the branch line panel sections and wherein all of the bus-bars used may be disconnected 2 from the source of supply with but one switching means. V In attaining the above object I so embody switching means with an interchangeable base section that a minimum number 25 of parts are employed in the construction thereof. Furthermore, I provide a cap section which is so a ertured and fitted with the base section hat a dead front panel board is formed. 30 For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a panel board embodying 1n invention together with a '35 surrounding, inged-cover casing in which I find it advantageous to position panel boards of this character.

. Fig. 2 is aplan view of a receptacle base section and a switching base section show- 40 ing the manner-in which the two are made standard and interchangeable;

Fig, 3 is an elevational, sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 it being assumed however, in this view, that a cap 45 section is interfitted with the base section;

and

Fig. 4 is an elevational sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig; 2.

A-base section has busare 11, 12 and -13 mounted thereupon, it being observed that alternate portions of the bars 11 and 13 overand under-lie the insulating base tion heretofore whereas the bus bar 12 is positioned wholly on the underside of the base section. Receptacles 14, 15, 16 and 17 are secured to the base section and it will be observed that the center contacts of some of the recep-tacles, in this case 14 and 17, are formed integrally with the over-lying portions of the us' bars 11 and 13, and that the center 'contactsiof the receptacles 15 and 16 are formed integrally with a cross connector 18 which is in turn connected to the middle bus bar 12 by means of a screw 19 which extends from the top to the bottom of the base section and thereby makes contact with the bus 12: Inasmuch as the base section just described and its advantageous features are more fully described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 388,827, filed June 14,1920, and assigned to the Benjamin Electric Manufacturin Goman I will not further describe 5m same in t is application. I A switching section comprises an insulating base 20 and it will -be observed that this base is of such size that it is interchangeable and standard with the rece tacle base secdescribe Conducting members 21, 22 and 23 are mounted at one end of the insulating base 20 and are provided with notched portions whereby an other standard base section may be electrically connected thereto. Likewise mounted upon the section 20 are receptacles 24 and 25 having shell contacts 26 and 27, respectively; respectively, it being observed that the center contacts 28 and 29 are integral portions of the conducting members 21 and 23.

The shell contacts 26 and 27 comprise a comparatively short body 30 which is struck outwardly at its lower portion to form flanges 31 and 32 whereby the said contact may be secured to the base section 20.

Angle members 33 are secured to the flangeportions 31 and at the lower end of the base section 20 (as viewed in Fig. 2) are mountcd'conducting members 34, 35 and 36, each of which are provided with screw members 37 whereby another base section of the same character may be attached electrically thereto. These members 34, 35 and 36 are also angular in character, having a portion 33 and center contacts 28 and 29,

. shown,

conducting members which ployed, a switching extending downwardl substantially parallel to the downwar ly extending portion of the members 33.

The member 22 has formed integrally therewith upwardly extending lugs 39 which serve as a pivotal support. for a switch arm40, the latter'being adapted for snap opening and closing through a toggle mechanism 41. to one end of the arm 40 and carries a plu-. rality of U-shaped conducting inembers43. The two members at the ends of said beam being adapted to cradle between the members 33 and 34, and 33 and 36, whereas the middle U-shaped member makes contact with the member 35. A handle 44 of any suitable insulating material is provided for the actuation of the switch arm 40.

Overlying both of the base sections heretofore described is a cap piece 45 which is apertured to receive the receptacles, as as well as having a slot therein through which the handle 44 may be moved. The entire board may be then positioned in a hinged-cover casing 46 as shown in From a consideration of the foregoing description it will be seen that movement of the handle 44.- breaks the circuit in each of the three bus bars at one operation and, moreover, because of the integrally formed I have em base section of extreme simplicity isformed.

In the following claims, moreover, I refer to the terminals on one side of the switching unit as supply or feed terminals, and have designated those on the opposite side as load terminals. It should be understood of course that these terms may be reversed and used indiscriminately and in-.

terchangeably and the terminals used for the alternative functions. But I- conte'inplate that a unit, wherein the terminals are simply .used in a reversesense, is within the purview of my invention and the claims have been drawn with that in mind. I have also spoken of connecting means at the ed es of the unit. It is obvious of course, t at if the unit is used separately as a switching element the remainder of the board may be a considerable distance away. Under these circumstances the words connecting means. should be given a broad interpretation so that. they would include the use of wire, or any other means, whereby an electrical connection would be facilitated. Of course in their narrow sense they also refer to the means whereby one block may be attached to the next block. But as I hereiiiafter point out, the structure of the switch ing element need not be so restricted unless desired.

From a consideration of the drawings, it will be apparent that I have described a An insulating beam 42 is secured switching element in which a 3-pole switch is utilized and in which fuses are positioned in the pressure lines only, it being noted that there is no fuse on the load side of the unit in the neutral line. The particular construction just described contributes to the advantages of the structure hereinafter defined in the claims.

While I have described but one einbodiment of my invention it is apparent that many modifications ma occur to those skilled in the art and l desire, therefore, that my invention be limited only by the showing of the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a panel board, an interchangeable switching unit comprising a base, conducting members mounted thereupon and provided with means whereby said unit may be connected to another unit, receptacles associated with some of said conducting means, and switching means for establishing a connection throughsaid receptacles as well as between two conducting members not associated with said receptacles.

2. In a panel board, an interchangeable switching unit comprising a base, conducting members mounted thereupon and provided with means whereby said unit may be connected to another unit, receptacles having center contacts formed integral with some of said conducting means, and switching means for establishing a connection through said receptacles as well as between two conducting members not associated with said receptacles.

3. In a panel board, an interchangeable switching unit comprising a base, conducting members mounted thereupon and provided with means whereby said unit may be -connected to another unit, some of the members being provided with downwardly extending portions, and switching means comprising members of-U-shaped cross-section, the arms of the latter contacting closely with said downwardly extending portions when said switch is closed, a conducting arm by which said beam is carried and which is electrically connected to the centrally-located U- shaped switch member, and a pivotal mounting for said am formed integrally with one of said first-named conducting members.

4. In a panel board, an interchangeable switching unit comprising a base, conducting members mounted thereupon and provided with means whereby said unit may be connected to another unit, receptacles on said base having center contacts formed integral with some of said conducting members and having shell contacts connected to others of the conducting members, and .a

transversely extending conducting ing members mounted at the ends thereof and embodying means whereby said unit ma be connected to another unit, receptac es on said base, some of said conducting members being formed integral with the receptacle center contacts, downwardly bent conductin portions associated with the receptacle s iell contacts, and a switching element comprising a pluralit of U- aped blades adapted to connect t e shell-contact conducting members with still other conducting members, the conducting members so connected being formed with downwardly extending portions to closely engage said shaped switch blades.

6. In a panel board, an interchangeable switching unit comprising a base, conducting members mounted at one end of said base, receptacles comprising shell and center contacts also mounted on said base, some of the conducting members having integral portions comprising the center contacts of said receptacles, conducting members associated with the receptacle shell contacts, other conducting members located adjacent the other end of the base, and switching means to connect the two last named con.- ducting members. i 7 In a panel board, an interchangeable switchin unit comprising a base, conducting mem rs mounted at one end of said base, receptacles comprising shell and center contacts also mounted on said base, some of c the conducting members having integral portions comprising the center contacts of ciated with the receptacle shell contacts, other conducting members located adjacent the other end of the base, said conducting members at the ends of said base bein probe connected to said switching unit, and switching means to connect the shell contact conducting members and the last named end conducting members.

8. In a panel board, an interchangeable switching unit comprising a base, conducting members mounted at one end of said base, receptacles com rising shell and center contacts also mounted onsaid base, some of the conducting members having. integral portions com rising the center contacts of said receptac es, conducting members associated with the receptacle shell contacts, other conducting members located adjacent the other end of the base, and switching said receptacles, conducting members asso-,

vided with means whereby another unit may means to connect some of the last-named end conducting members tothe shell contact conducting members and one of the last named end conducting members to one of the firstnamed end conducting members,

9. In a panel board, an interchangeable switchin unit comprising a base, conducting mem ers mounted at one end of said base, receptacles com rising shell and center contacts also mounted on said base, some of the conducting members having integral portions comprisin the center contacts of said receptacles an another of'said conducting members comprising an integrally formed switch-arm mounting, said rece .tacle shell contacts having a comparative y short body portion and outwardly extending flanges, conducting members havin downwardl extending ortions associated with one o the flanges oi each shell-contact, other conducting members having downwardly extendin portions positioned at the other end of sai base, and switching means comprisin an arm pivoted in said mounting whereby t e shell-contact conducting members and some of the last-named end conducting members are connected and whereby one of said last-named end conducting members is connected to the end conducting member formed integrally with the switcharm mounting.

10. In a panel board, an interchangeable switchingmunit comprising a base, conducting mem rs mounted thereupon and prov1 ed with means whereby sai unit may be connected to another unit, receptacles associated with some of said conducting means, switching means comprising an a wardly extending handle portion for esta lishin a connection through said receptacles as we as between two conductin members not associated with said receptac es, and a cap registering with said base and recessed to receive the receptacles and said switch handle whereby a dead-front panel board is formed. a

11. A panel board comprising an insulatin block, an inside terminal and two outsi e terminals on each of two opposite ed es of said block, each inside terminal being 0- cated between the outside terminals of'that edge, fuse terminals connected between the outside terminals of one edge and the outside terminal of the other edge, and a switch operable to break connection between the fuses and their associated terminals and to break the connection between the two inside terminals, said switch having its operatingmember located between the uses.

12. A panel board unit comprising an insulating block having three supply terminals, three load terminals, a fuse re-' directly connected to another load terminal, a switch located between said receptacles, the shell contacts of said receptacles iaving switch contacts, and other switch contacts connected. to said supply terminals, said switch being arranged to simultaneously make and break electrical connection between each of said first named switch cont tacts, and said second named switch contacts.

13. A'panel board unit comprising an insulating block, a pair of fuse receptacles, terminals for each of said fuse receptacles ar ranged to be connected to a pressure conductor of a three-wire system, a neutral conductor extendin between said receptacles, a switch located between said receptacles and arranged to break the electrical circuit between each of said receptacles and its respective terminal.

14. A panel board unit insulating block, connecting meansalong one edge thereof including an inner and two outer means for receiving leads from a three-wire supply circuit, three corresponding connecting members at the opposite edge of said block arranged for connection comprising an with corresponding conductin" members on another unit, a switch carried by said block, a fuse on each sideof said switch, said fuses being arranged to establish communication between the corresponding conducting members on the opposite edges of the block, the

fuse rece tacles' each havin one contact connected irectly to one of the conducting members and the other contact of the recep; tacle extending toward the corresponding conducting member on the other side of the block, said switch adapted to make and break the electrical connection between each of said receptacle contacts and its corresponding electrical conducting member.

15. A panel board comprising an insulating block, a switch having an operating element carried thereb a pair of fuse receptacles also carried t ereby, one at each side of said operatin element, terminals on one edge of said bloc comprising a neutral and two pressure terminals, corresponding neutral and pressure terminals on the opposite side of said block, said fuse receptac-les being connected between the corresponding pressure terminals and each of them having one of their contacts permanently connected to one terminal and its other contact connected to a switch contact, said switch being arranged to make and break electrical connection between each of the fuse receptacles and its corresponding connecting terminal and at the same time make and break the connection between the neutral terminals of the unit.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. 

